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Incredible Photos & Videos of Hoopstad Sandstorm

The following dramatic photos were taken yesterday by Hoopstad farmer Petrus Roux during a massive sandstorm (or stofstorm in Afrikaans) in the Freestate, South Africa…as it came closer… Local Welkom business Silostrat, which posted the photos, told SAPeople that Roux captured the incredible scenes of Mother Nature whilst planting maize outside of Hoopstad, an area renowned for its maize production. […]

The following dramatic photos were taken yesterday by Hoopstad farmer Petrus Roux during a massive sandstorm (or stofstorm in Afrikaans) in the Freestate, South Africa…as it came closer…

Sandstorm in Hoopstad

Sandstorm in Hoopstad

Hoopstad South Africa

Local Welkom business Silostrat, which posted the photos, told SAPeople that Roux captured the incredible scenes of Mother Nature whilst planting maize outside of Hoopstad, an area renowned for its maize production.

Hoopstad South Africa

Sandstorm in Hoopstad Sandstorm in Hoopstad

Sandstorm in Hoopstad

Since Silostrat posted the pictures yesterday afternoon, they have been shared through social media as rapidly as the sandstorm itself swept through the Freestate.

Sandstorm in Hoopstad

Hoopstad South Africa

After uploading the photos, Silostrat wrote: “Het nie woorde nie… (Have no words).” They also uploaded the following photos:

Hoopstad South Africa

Hoopstad (Tswelopele) lies between Bloemfontein and the North West Province. Other areas like Soutpan, in Lejweleputswa district, were also apparently affected.

Hoopstad South Africa

Sandstorms in the area are so legendary that it has its own Hoopstad Stofstorm Band!

Hoopstad South Africa

And after the sandstorm there was the much-welcomed bietjie reen (bit of rain) with residents in Bultfontein, 100 km north of Bloemfontein) reporting a “lekker vinnige 26mm…Dankbaar!”

Bultfontein
26mm in Bultfontein. Photo: Jan Harmse

On the Hoopstad (Tikwana) facebook page, a few photos were also posted yesterday afternoon, including the following two by Rethabile Mapilok who said “Current situation…el nino at its best.”

Hoopstad sand storm

Hoopstad sand storm

And Lefa Makoanyane posted this photo to the page saying “Tjo, dibe tsa Hoopstad di strong.”

Hoopstad sand storm

Nicolaas Van Der Linde posted these two pictures on Silostrat’s page:

Hoopstad sand stormHoopstad sand storm

The following two videos of the sandstorm were posted on YouTube by Louis Bothma and Kobie Barnard.

Watch Video: Stofstorm Bloemfontein, January 2016 (Tilt your head!)

Watch Video: Hoopstad Stofstorm, January 2016

Although sandstorms are renowned in the area, South Africa has been experiencing radical and dramatic weather recently with a heatwave in several parts of the country (it was 42 degrees in this area – Bloemfontein – last week), a devastating drought across most of the country, flash floods and a major hailstorm in Krugersdorp.

Rain in South Africa
Westville in KwaZulu-Natal experienced a massive downpour of approximately 100mm…although it didn’t even reach as far north as Hillcrest.

The following photos were taken by Carla Shannon Photography in Krugersdorp during the hail storm (please visit her page for more):

Golf course hail
Krugersdorp Golf Course
St Ursulas School
St Ursula’s School
Golf ball sized hail
Golfball sized hail
Hail in Krugersdorp
Golfball sized hail

Umbrella in hail
Bird and hail
Hail

MORE

  • View the Silostrat Hoopstad sandstorm post on Facebook here.
  • See the hailstorm damage here.